


A Change Of Heart

by skol



Series: Changes [2]
Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Fluff, Gay Male Character, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Queer Male Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:22:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24909874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skol/pseuds/skol
Summary: After arriving in Zootopia and sharing a hotel room with an unexpected cougar, questions arise between the two that both want to be answered.
Relationships: Bobby Catmull/Gideon Grey
Series: Changes [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1798426
Kudos: 7





	A Change Of Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I will preface this chapter with an apology for the vague summary, but what’s the point if I give everything away? >:)
> 
> Anyways, this is the second, much longer installment of my little series, and once again, I ask you to please give kudos and leave recommendations and thanks in the comments below, as well as ideas for possible plot lines that I may be able to to realize for you.
> 
> Or maybe not, who knows. Oh, and despite my best efforts, I’m still getting used to English, so I apologize for any more grammatical errors and oversights.
> 
> I hope you enjoy the story regardless!

By the time he woke up, the fox's arms were still out as if he was wrapping around the cougar as before, however there was none to be seen; only to be heard. The shower was running, some sort of music playing, however unintelligible. Sitting up in bed and scooting over to the other mammal's side, looking at the clock. "8:33." He mumbled, stepping out of bed, forgetting that the window was open, and quickly ducking down to put on his clothes where he put his suitcase the night before. Overalls and gingham, a staple for him. 

After making the bed and generally tidying up the room before any room-keeper were to come in unannounced, he went to go brush his teeth and wash his face, he hadn't really gotten a good chance to shower in a day or so, what with the tiresome task of moving and closing up, selling his van, the whole thing. It had left him worn out, but something about how he slept last night was... invigorating. It felt so different, sleeping in the city that is. He didn't think it could. Lost in thought, Gideon left to sit on the bed absentmindedly, the door to the shower's room opening with steam exiting, as well as a twice toweled cougar, one covering his body, the other wrapping his head. Gideon chuckled.

"Why've you got one on yer head? You don't have extra fur up there!" The fox kept chuckling, shutting his eyes as he grinned and slapping his knee unknowingly. The cougar shrugged with a smile, now looking in his suitcase for clothes.

"Old habit I suppose, I used to watch my mom do that and I started to copy her." A silence fell between the two as the cougar picked out his clothes and got dressed in the bathroom, keeping the door cracked so the two could still briefly talk. "So what're you doing out here, Gid?" He said, sneezing quickly just after.

"Well I'm finally makin' the move out here, seems like everyone has these days..." he paused, not wanting to overshare, but gave in because 'How could this be a bad thing?' he thought. "I'm actually staying here because I haven't found an apartment yet, but I'm going out lookin-" before he could finish talking, the cougar opened the door, now clothed, grinning wildly. The fox cocked his head to the side before the cougar could speak out of confusion.

Shooting his arms into the sky, the cougar couldn't hold it back anymore, "I'm looking for a place too! I just graduated from UZSD and wanted to move away from campus, so I'd be happy to be basically anywhere." His eyes went big as he sat next to the smaller mammal, wrapping his arm around him, holding his grin. The fox pulled away, looking back up at him with the same confused expression, his mouth slack-jawed in awe before he spoke. "Beg my pardon, but I barely know ya! I mean I think we were in classes together back in like the fifth grade, but I haven't seen you since then."

Gideon gestured his paws wildly as he tried to comprehend the shocking yet somehow not unexpected proposition and went on, "I just slept in the same bed as ya somehow, you're bein' all touchy, and askin' me to move in with ya? What's the deal?" He looked a mix of confused and angry, not necessarily at the cougar before him, but perhaps something about himself.

"I'm sorry foxy, I didn't know you didn't like that sorta thing, and I was just excited 'cause I thought it would make life for both of us easier. I didn't mean it like that, that's weird. I-" As he talked, Bobby noticed the expression on his past friend's face, one he knew the meaning of all too well. He sighed, nearly reaching out to pat his shoulder but kept from doing so. "Are you good, bud?" He tried to keep his voice low and comforting, which did feel a bit odd from his seemingly usual boisterous self.

"I don't know, but regardless I'm still unsure about living with you, with anyone for that matter." Which was true, he had imagined living by himself again. He could do that in Bunny Burrow, but he was in the heart of the city, his new building already purchased, needing to live somewhere as fast as possible. "I'll think about it, maybe you could go get us something for breakfast or something. I'll pay I just," he paused for a minute, doing what only could be described as a sort of half wince, "I need some time to think." He shuddered at being vulnerable in the slightest, something clearly irking him apart from just finding an apartment.

Bobby would keep out of it, just mumbling a brief, "Alright.", and giving a nervous smile as he walked out of the room, closing the door quietly, walking down the hall.

*

There was a long moment before Gideon laid back into the dent where the cougar had slept in the less than average mattress, sighing. He finally let out a sniffle before retreating to a hidden place deep within his head, letting his emotions take hold of him, and began to bawl. He had felt an odd way all morning, finally realizing what it was - love, but not in a normal way. This was something new. He had felt different his whole life, yes, he knew that. He hated thinking about it though. Prejudice was something he had seen many face already in the news from the protests back when Zootopia was in the hands of Bellwether, it didn't make him feel any safer. Scared to be seen through the window despite it being nearly 20 stories off the ground, he rolled himself under the blankets and continued his fit.

*

By the time the feline returned to the hotel room with plates of french toast and carrot bacon and cups of coffee, setting them down on the small table for two within the hotel room. Gideon, still under the covers, laid as flat as he could and sat silent, only the occasional sniffle. He didn't know why he was hiding, I guess the feeling of people seeing him cry wasn't something he particularly wanted. However to his surprise, the cougar didn't seem to be all too intrusive on him, instead sitting at the table and turning on the flat-screen TV mounted to the corner of the wall that faced the bed. Thanks to the thinness of the sheets and duvet above him, the fox could hear what was happening rather well.

"Thanks to the last few years' success, the Zootopia Pride Festival will be returning in the coming week, so tell your friends, family, and loved ones, no matter who or what they are and identify as." This sent a shudder down the fox's spine, bringing him back down to Earth a bit. He started getting up, getting a bit confused as to where the covers ended and the bed began, throwing them off the bed despite his previous efforts to keep the place clean. As his eyes adjust, he saw the cougar stifle a laugh between bites, the waft of breakfast coming to the fox. 

"Sorry for laughing foxy, you looked like a confused puppy." Now admitting to it, he gave a hearty chuckle to it, bringing at least a little smile to the fox's face. Said fox got up and joined him at the table, the other mammal turning down the volume to the news as the fox pored syrup over his breakfast. His fur was still a bit tear soaked, eyes still watery, however neither seeming to acknowledge until the feline spoke up. "Are you ready to talk now?” After speaking, taking down the last bite of his breakfast, which he had seemed to have eaten quicker than any mammal possibly could.

“I guess...” the fox replied, scratching the back of his neck, waiting to eat considering he was about to explain so much of what made him _him_ to what felt like a complete stranger, even if he’d already shown him more than what considered his family. “When I was a junior in high school, I came home from class once to my dad talking to my mom about finding gay porn on our computer. Neither had known that side of me, I don’t think I knew that either really. I was just curious, but that was enough to set ‘em off. I didn’t eat that night, and I wouldn’t for a lot more. They just sent me to my room or outside whenever I did anything remotely not masculine.” The fox made air quotes at the ‘not masculine’, despite having tendencies to get mad at himself for not following them. At least they had a small laugh and knew each other’s points of view.

“Over time, I talked to ‘em less and less, not even telling ‘em when I moved out and started my own business. They tried to call, but gave up really quickly.” He went silent for a second or so, sighing, finally taking a bite of his food, thoroughly pleased. “I guess that’s why I have all o’ this now. Wanted to make up fer skipped meals.” He chuckled and gestured to his abdomen as the cougar’s eyes twinkled in wonder. 

“Thank for you telling me... fuck, where do I begin?” The cat couldn’t hold a small laugh, closing his takeout box and throwing it in the nearby garbage can. “I guess I should start with this, what _is_ your sexuality? It’s fine if you don’t know or are still questioning or are even just straight, that was just a lot to unpack. But don’t think I want to throw out the suitcase.” The fox laughed, quickly responding.

“So we’re making jokes now? Well...” Silence fell, the vulpine’s mouths agape as if he were to say something slowly closing as he looked off in thought. “I suppose I don’t know. I’ve heard the term queer passed around as sort of a catch-all, despite what it meant to me as a kid. I know I ain’t straight, that’s fer damn sure. We wouldn’t be talkin’ ‘bout this if that were the case.” Taking another bite of his breakfast awaiting another question. Closing himself wasn’t really an option anymore, though I guess that was for the best in his mind.

Bobby thought for a moment as well, then looking back straight into the other predator’s eyes. “Do you not like the fact that you’re queer?” Realizing quickly how that may have been a little to quick, “You don’t have to answer quickly or at all really, that was kinda a big one.” Damn right it was. The fox knew he was trying to just help him learn and understand things of a world he was very unfamiliar with. So before he answered the cougar’s question, he posed his own. “Do _you_ not like the fact I’m queer?”

The cat nearly spat out his coffee after barely just taking a sip, looking dead-eyed at the fox. “Gid, I’m gay. I’m “learn like 5 different instruments just to impress some tiger I thought was cute in a county fair” gay.” The fox’s head might as well have exploded with the look on his face. First, the fact he liked Tyrone back when we were nine had never crossed his mind. To be fair he was more focused on who he was gonna sucker punch or what he was gonna eat next at the time, but still. “That’s a shocker- wait a second... then why’d you share a bed with me?” The fox thought he’d cracked a case, the cougar liked him!

“Sleep is sleep, Gideon Grey. I wasn’t about to give up my whole bed, and since you foxes are so small it didn’t make all too much of a difference. Plus, you’re a pretty decent cuddle buddy, so no harm done.” The cat winked at the fox, sending the other in a fit of blush, the fox now noticeably sweaty. “You cuddled me? Dude ask-“ but before he could finish, the feline swiftly corrected him. “No, foxy. _you_ cuddled _me._ I had to practically pry you away from me so I could shower.” Awestruck, Gideon simply said nothing, going back to his breakfast and quickly finishing it as the other looked in his mind for another question.

It came to him soon enough. “You never answered my question. I’ll ask again, with you now knowing what happened last night, do you not like the fact that you’re queer?” The fox’s heart sank, now unable to wit his way out of this. Swallowing his last bite and bit of pride, he responded with a resounding, “No. Well, yes, I mea- ugh. I don’t know, I don’t really do anything, I’ve never even slept with another man before. Well, not in _that_ context at least. That doesn’t have anything to do with it. I was born into a homophobic family, and as a fox in Bunnyburrow, I didn’t really have any want to be prejudiced against any more than I already was, despite who I was in those days.” 

He paused for a moment, trying to think of what to say next before the other could speak. “I don’t know, maybe that pride parade could be a fun way to help me through that? I don’t really know what those are but it can’t be bad I suppose.” The cougar was elated, so much so that he forgot the fox’s boundaries and got up and hugged him, lifting him straight out of the seat and the vulpine’s head resting on his far larger shoulder. The fox didn’t pull away, instead leaning into it and hugging back. If he had done this in his sleep, this isn’t much different. Then came a sniffle, this time from the cougar. Before the red coated mammal could speak, the cougar did first.

“The amount of progress in those few sentences are more than some make in a lifetime. Never forget that, Gideon.” And he pulled him tighter, slowly letting go and setting him down on the bed. A bit flustered, the fox smiled, looking up at the cougar that just held him, and didn’t feel bad for that small second. Until he remembered the impending question of ‘How long can I stay in a hotel room?’, so he spoke up. “I think with that,” he looked down and to the side, not wanting to show his cheeks, “maybe we could in fact look for places together. I don’t think there’s anyone else in the city I trust more than you - okay, maybe Gazelle, but she’s different.” The two laughed, then the fox got up and started packing up, as did the cougar.

**Author's Note:**

> I just want to say thank you so much for reading! The next chapter should be up relatively soon, and please do leave any suggestions in the comments below.
> 
> I hope you have a good rest of your day!


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